


You Should Try Saying No Once In Awhile

by megyal



Category: Bandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-20
Updated: 2006-08-20
Packaged: 2017-10-27 03:52:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/291335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megyal/pseuds/megyal





	You Should Try Saying No Once In Awhile

Travis watched as Patrick closed his eyes and nodded to the strange beat he was currently weaving on his computer. Travis cleared his throat, twisting a little on Pete's new sofa, slumping his long frame on the plush cushions. Patrick was sitting on his heels on the floor, laptop on the coffee-table. Apparently, Patrick did his best work on his knees. Travis tried not to smirk.

"Stump," he spoke up in the direction of Patrick's left ear, which was uncovered by the headphone. He could see Patrick's eyebrow raise up in response. "So. You and Pete."

Patrick opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling of Pete's house and then squeezed them shut again, creasing the space between his eyebrows as if in deep pain.

"Yeah," he finally responded, going back to his work. "Me and Pete."

Travis waited a full five minutes before talking to him again. Patrick could get pretty pissy if he thought you were being annoying while he was deciding a chord arrangement.

"What's it like?"

Patrick rubbed his cheek and pulled at the hair brushing at the back of his neck absently.

"He drives me up the fucking _wall_ sometimes," Patrick responded with mild resignation, turning his head and looking at Travis. "He makes everything into a soap opera."

Travis understood.

*

"I'm not having any fun," William pouted and then frowned as Travis ignored him. Travis was idly wondering if he was allowed to jump into the pool here at this album-release party, and then sighed as William squeezed his upper-arm.

"Then go have some fun, man," he grated out and fixed on a grin as a couple of girls came up and asked for their autograph. William gave them each a hug after he did, bony elbows askew, and then stood beside him again, pelvis jutting out at Travis, fingers locked into Travis' belt-loops.

"But what if I wanted to have fun with you?"

Travis heard the whine, and considered throwing _him_ into the pool.

*

"He's so fucking _serious_!" William whispered half-bitterly, half-giggling to Pete, the two of them sunbathing in Pete’s tiny backyard. Well, _Pete_ was sunbathing, stretched out on a towel on the fine grass, walls high around him, sun pelting on his naked butt, gradually colouring the olive-toned skin. William was content to sit on the shady steps that led from the living room to where they were, his back leaning on the closed glass door, shutting in Patrick and Travis. “You see him onstage, you think he’s a riot, but he’s really not, sometimes.”

“Aha. You’re lucky.” Pete turned his head leisurely on the towel, and grinned at him. “Patrick doesn’t look like any fun. And he really isn’t. Sometimes.”

William frowned.

*

William screeched and goofed off with Gabe and tried not to watch Travis drinking his beer in the corner and talking with some executive. He had even kissed some kid as a little joke, and Travis had just laughed loudly with the suit.

William went and jumped in the pool with Maja.

Travis and the exec continued to laugh in the corner. He could hear them, from even underneath the water. He wondered, as he was kissing Maja in the light floating blue, how much Travie would care if he started to inhale chlorinated pool-water now. He had just released Maja, watching her float back to the rippling surface, and was trying to work up the bravery to take that first soggy breath when he felt someone drag at his shirt collar.

“Don’t even _think_ about it,” Travis muttered as he hauled William out of the water, from the edge of the pool.

*

Travis stared at William’s back through the glass doors. He could see Pete’s legs, crisping in the heat.

“So how do you stand it, dude?” He had waited ten minutes this time, and Patrick gave him a small appreciative smile.

“I dunno. I guess he keeps me sane at the same time, you know?”

Travis tried. He didn’t really know.

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Patrick breathed, leaning forward and peering through the doors. “That idiot is gonna get his ass burnt.”

*

Will sighed and Pete wriggled on his towel.

“So how do you do it? Don’t you get bored shitless?”

Pete wriggled some more, enjoying the feel on the sunshine on his skin.

“I don’t know how to explain it.” Pete raised his legs, bending them at the knees and then put them down. He turned over onto his back, scratching absently at his crotch, and Will giggled. “I suppose he’s the only one that doesn’t have to be fun for me to have fun _with_.”

William lost his balance a little as Patrick opened the door behind him.

“Pete. I’m not going to spend any time babying any sunburns. I just want you to remember that.” Patrick closed the door and missed Pete sticking out his tongue.

*

Pete insisted on walking around only in his towel when he came back inside. Patrick spent half an hour hissing at him while he did so. Will went into the guest bedroom, and Travis stayed out, watching the television and trying to ignore Patrick dragging Pete to his bedroom to find some clothes. Pete was hanging on to the edge of every surface they passed, so that a five-second stroll to the bedroom became a ten-minute tug of war. Pete was snickering throughout the whole thing.

Travis waited a little after Pete’s door slammed and then got up to go where William was. He didn’t want to go. There would probably be either some nonsensical argument, or chilly silence and he hadn’t signed up for this shit, so maybe they should just fucking sign it _off_. Problem was, it was hard signing off. _Uncoupling_. That sort of thing. And besides, he didn’t really know if they had _coupled_ in the first place, so that would make it easier, right? It was really just fucking around.

He paused at Pete’s door and listened.

“So you’re not going to put on any pants?” He could hear Patrick’s muffled voice through the door. Pete replied in a low tone, the words indefinable, but Patrick laughed.

“Patrick. Just-“ Pete started, his words clearer now, and then he moaned.

Travis went onto the guest bedroom.

*

“Do you think we’ll ever be like them?” William asked as he settled on the bed beside him. Will had his back turned to him, and Travis thought he had been dozing. He lay back, not bothering to pull off his sneakers and pondered the question. He could lie through his teeth, just to avoid Will starting up something, but you know what? He was exhausted.

“No. I don’t think anyone can be like them. They’re like a fucking Harlequin romance, or something.”

William gave a short huffing laugh, and Travis relaxed. This might be a good sign.

“I used to read those.” Will rolled over and looked at him, the corners of his mouth turned down, but he was still smiling, in his eyes. “We could _try_ , though, right?”

 _Say no_ , Travis thought to himself instantly. _Think about if you want to make yourself crazy, by just being around him_.

Travis put some more brain-cells into this process. Will held his breath.

“Yeah,” he said, sliding down onto his back and stretching out flat. He put his hands behind his head. “We could try.”


End file.
